0945:CYPPRESS:01

Nicosia, May 2 (CNA) -- Members of the National Coordinated Effort of
Hellenes in the United States have expressed their regret over occupation
regime leader Rauf Denktash's decision to block a pilgrimage last week by
Greek Cypriots to the monastery of Apostolos Andreas, in the Turkish-
occupied Karpass peninsula.

"We sincerely regret that Mr. Denktash is placing obstacles to events
such as this and others which aim at developing further contacts between
Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and which the government of Cyprus, the
European Union, the United Nations and the United States support," said
President of the United Hellenic American Congress (UHAC) New York, Charles
Marangoudakis.

A pilgrimage of 600 to 800 Greek Cypriots to the monastery had been
arranged with the assistance of the UN to take place on April 27, Orthodox
Easter Sunday.

The trip was cancelled due to Denktash's insistence to censor the list
of visitors.

UN Spokesman in Cyprus, Waldemar Rokoszewski expressed regret for the
outcome, adding that "it goes without saying that any form of censorship or
interference with the list of names presented is unacceptable".

No such censorship was made on a list of 460 Turkish Cypriots who
visited the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque in the free areas of the Republic ten
days earlier.

"We believe that the Turkish Cypriots greatly appreciated the Cyprus
government's unrestricted invitation to them to participate in a pilgrimage
to the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque in the free area of Cyprus," UHAC National
Chairman and World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) President, Andrew
Athens said.

The Hala Sultan Tekke mosque in the southern coastal town of Larnaca is
considered to be among the holiest places in the Muslim world.

President of the Pancyprian Association of America and of the
International Coordinating Committee - Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), Phillip
Christopher added that "the fact that 460 Turkish Cypriots went to the free
area of Cyprus to pray showed their enthusiasm for the pilgrimage," and
that "it also showed how comfortable the Turkish Cypriots feel being among
Greek Cypriots in a free situation".

National Coordinated Effort President, Andreas Manatos said that
"responses by Turkish Cypriots to other movements toward a possible
settlement suggest that they do not support Denktash's actions".

Pancyprian Association Executive Vice-President, Nikos Mouyiaris,
echoed Manatos statements, adding that Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot
women "warmly received each other" at a meeting which took place in
Brussels on April 17.

"The Turkish Cypriots seem to want a Cyprus settlement, accession to
the EU and all the benefits which result therefrom," said Panicos
Papanicolaou, President of the Cyprus Federation of America.

CNA MH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1230:CYPPRESS:02

-- It is strangely paradoxical for a soldier's
soldier to reject military force as a solution to conflict. But if such a
paradox can ever exist, then Major-General Evergisto Arturo De Vergara is
surely its most fervent proponent.

An ardent student of history who carries Roman Catholic prayer beads in
his pocket, the new commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in
Cyprus (UNFICYP) is certain the Turkish occupation of 37 per cent of
Cyprus' territory "will lead nowhere".

"Any solution coming from a military point of view won't last. Look
back at history. No military solution lasted long," the general says
fervently.

De Vergara, who hails from Argentina, was appointed to the post as
UNFICYP Commander on February 28, 1997, succeeding Finnish Brigader-General
Ahti Toimi Paavali Vartianen.

An animated man who punctuates the conversation with forceful hand
gestures, De Vergara says the UNFICYP's aim in Cyprus is neither to impose
or force peace, but to provide opportunities for politicians to achieve it.

"We are here to provide the platform for the politicians to negotiate,"
De Vergara says, but admits the force of 1200 troops guarding the peace on
the island is stretched to its limits.

"I agree, our force is small now, we are stretching our resources to
the maximum, but it doesn't make any difference if I have some 1000, 2000
or 5000 more. Our aim is to provide opportunity. (More troops) would make
our life a little bit more comfortable, but if we have to stretch to the
maximum, we'll do that," the general says.

The UNFICYP Commander notes the UN Security Council mandate under which
the peacekeeping force is operating, "does not impose any limitations" on
its performance. De Vergara is adamant however, not even "maximum power"
could have prevented the incidents last summer, in which two Greek Cypriot
civilians were brutally murdered in the buffer zone by Turkish extremists
and Turkish occupation forces.

"Shall we build a wall all across Cyprus? No. Shall I shoot
demonstrators? No. So in what way would it help to have, instead of 1200
peacekeepers, 50,000 of them," the general asks.

De Vergara urges restraint to be shown by both sides on the island in
order to prevent similar situations and pave a smoother road for
politicians to achieve peace.

"I can bring here 50,000 troops, but if both sides are not showing the
necessary restraint to tell the people look, we won't solve the problem
this way and the only thing we're achieving with that is embarrassing the
politicians because now they have a lot of obstacles to jump over," he
adds.

De Vergara concurs that the complete demilitarisation of Cyprus,
proposed by the Cypriot government as a means of solving the long-standing
dispute, would be useful in peace efforts.

"I think if both sides can agree to full demilitarisation, that will
also help to reach a peaceful settlement," the general says, but stresses
however, what he terms "the Cypriot interest", to be the key which will
force open the deadlock gripping efforts towards a solution.

"The most important thing to be taken into account is the Cypriot
interest. What is the Cypriot interest? We (should) take into account not
someone else's interest. Here they talk about such-and-such interest. All
over the world, everyone has interests here. I want to listen to the
Cypriot interest," he says.

De Vergara also expressed concern over the current military buildup on
the island, saying the continual stockpiling of modern weapons could have
unforeseen consequences.

"When you start an arms race, you don't know when you're going to
finish it. Some politicians call it balance of power. Others call it
balance of terror. What would you like to choose," he asks.

Referring to the 1989 Unmanning Proposal calling for steps to be taken
by Turkish occupation forces and the Cypriot National Guard as a means to
reduce tensions along the cease-fire line, De Vergara says several
practical measures can be taken to alleviate tensions.

"As far as we can take both sides from within eyeball range, it would
be good because if you're very close that means we don't trust each other.
And if there's no trust, it means the danger of conflict," the general
says.

He adds that talks currently underway between Turkish occupation forces
and the Cypriot National Guard aiming at reducing tensions between soldiers
facing each other only metres away in some instances are not moving as fast
as the UN would like them to.

"Those talks are going on at a slow pace. We would like to have those
talks go much faster," De Vergara says.

The UNFICYP Commander points to a lack of confidence as the main reason
why the two sides on the island have not reached agreement on military
issues, adding that even if at a slow pace, "we are achieving something".

"We are tied up to objectives, not to a timetable," the general adds.

De Vergara says UNFICYP's political chain of command, under which he
reports to UN Head of Mission to Cyprus, Gustave Feissel, is not the
military type which he is used to, but notes it poses no problems in
carrying out his mission in Cyprus.

"The system is not so easy as in the national system, but it does not
impede us to perform our duties," he says.

The UNFICYP Commander now sees a real opportunity for the Cyprus
problem to be solved, but it is an opportunity that the Cypriots themselves
must seize and take full advantage of.

"The chances (for a solution) are very good. I would define it an
almost unique opportunity... almost everyone is concerned about Cyprus
(but) it is the Cypriots who have to choose, to decide," he says.

Stressing the point, De Vergara poignantly adds if it were up to him,
he would serve Cypriots with a wake-up call to what is above all in their
interest.

"If I had enough power, I would gather everyone and say to them, those
who care about Turkish interests, go to Turkey. Those who care about Greek
interests, go to Greece... Cypriots should be the protagonists," he says.

De Vergara repeats emphatically that people "should not be tied down to
the past", but rather look forward at the possibilities peace can bring to
the island.

"Here, you cannot find that hate you can find somewhere else in the
world... If you don't take advantage of that, what are we expecting? Are we
just waiting to have hate to achieve a solution?" he asks rhetorically.

A self-professed religious man, De Vergara's family roots extend to the
northern Spanish village of Vergara. A paratrooper by training, he comes
from a long line of career soldiers, stretching back to the early 17th
century. "The military was a real calling. You can hardly find a rationale
for that... Heritage was one reason why I chose a military career. Another
is a deep concern for the human being," De Vergara says.

Perhaps it is this strong sense of military tradition etched in his
character that he has no qualms commanding British troops in Cyprus, given
the war between Argentina and Britain waged over the Falklands-Maldives in
the south Atlantic 15 years ago.

"You must know how a soldier's life is. There's a kind of brotherhood
of soldiers all over the world. Sometimes we fight because politicians tell
us to fight, but we don't fight with hatred," De Vergara says.

The UNFICYP Commander has twice served with the UN prior to his
assignment in Cyprus, as a staff officer and military observer with UNTSO
in the Middle East between 1983 and 1985 and with UNPROFOR as the Deputy
Commander of Sector West in Croatia between 1993 and 1995.

CNA MH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1300:CYPPRESS:03

Nicosia, Mar 2 (CNA) -- Germany has embarked on a more active involvement
in the Cyprus problem by appointing, for the first time, a Special
Representative on Cyprus.

Detlev Countzu Rantzau, is currently in Cyprus on what may be described
as a familiarisation visit.

Rantzau was received this morning by Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides
and had a meeting with Foreign Minister, Yiannakis Cassoulides.

The German diplomat described his meeting with President Clerides as
interesting and enlightening, but avoided making any further statements
until, as he said, he had the chance to gain further knowledge on the
Cyprus problem.

He also avoided making any comments following his meeting with the
Foreign Minister, but noted he will talk about his contacts on the island
during a scheduled press conference next Monday.

On Monday morning, he will cross into the Turkish-occupied part of
Cyprus to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

In statements made on his arrival last night, the German diplomat said
his country desires a solution to the Cyprus problem so that once Cyprus
accedes to the European Union, the island will not usher its problem into
the Union.

Rantzau noted that with his appointment as Special Representative on
Cyprus, Germany wants to contribute to efforts towards a solution on the
island.

He avoided commenting on the common statement issued by EU member
states which connects progress on the Cyprus problem with the development
of European - Turkish relations.

However, the German diplomat did admit that Europe - Turkey relations
do have some bearing on the Cyprus problem.